The Fellowship of Dokdo
Transcription
The Fellowship of Dokdo
The MINJOK HERALD is a student publication for students of the KMLA* and anyone who wish to find out more about the KMLA. A STATUE OF GENERAL LEE SUN-SHIN AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF SCHOOL GATE DATE October 10th Monday, 2005 OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1997 PUBLISHER Lee Donhee (headmaster) | THIS ISSUE Volume 8. No.2 (21st edition) | (Visit us online at http://cafe.daum.net/minjokherald.) “What we’ve got to tell everybody” Yet about trust and honor... for DOKDO: pg.6~7 for NO-SUPERVISOR EXAMS: pg.4~5 Index 2005 march-august EDITORIALS SECTION E • Koreans Made in USA pg.2 • Are Computer Regulations Really Practical pg.3 • ‘No More Supervisors In Test Centers’ pg.4~5 • Korean-Japanese Conflict Around Dokdo pg.7 SCHOOL NEWS SECTION N •The Fellowship of Dokdo Cover Story: pg.1 •The Things that make Dokdo Ours pg.6 •Minjok Festival / the Miss Minjok Contest pg.9~10 •Celebrating the Teacher’s Day pg.9 •Symposium on Space Launch Infrastructure pg.10 •First KMLA Continuing Education Program pg.10 •The New Captains pg.11 •The GLPS program this summer pg.11 •Communication with Parents pg.12 •Jeong Bom Jin prosecutor visited KMLA pg.13 KMLA LIFE SECTION K •Students’ Voice on Curfew and Self-Study pg.5 •DIET: Trying to Lose Weight in KMLA pg.14 •How to have Fun in Gloomy Campus pg.14 •The New Critical Reading Test pg.15 •Staying at school for Summer Sessions pg.14 •Migrant’s Arirang pg.15 •KMLA students at the HOBY WLC 2005 pg.16 •Club Focus - Apple Pie pg.16 SPORTS SECTION S •KMLA Triumphs at the Gangwon Athletic Competition / Baseball team 1st place for 3rd time pg.16 •The Archery Team’s Amazing Achievement pg.15 •The Sports Day for Student and Parents pg.17 •New Morning Exercise programs pg.17 Important: recruit The Minjok Herald will start the secondround Writing Crew member selection program very soon. If you’re interested, please expect further notices at Honjung. Contact: 011-259-0563 (KIM, SUNGMIN/ Executive Editor) 011-9056-2540 / 011-9262-5495 (SHIN, HEE YEON, CHUNG, PURUN / Deputy Executive Editors) 010-7701-9749 (SUH, JUNGKYU/ Editorial Chair) Motto: Of, By, and For the Students! for GANGWON SPORTS COMPETITION: COMPETITION pg.18 The Fellowship of Dokdo RETROSPECT: Looking back at our Efforts to Guard Dokdo O n March 16, 2005, Shimane Prefacture of Japan passed a bill for designating “Takeshima Island Day.” Dokdo, islands so-called Takeshima in Japan, has long been a subject of controversy for Korea and Japan. The Minjok Herald fully recognizes the importance of this issue, which will be continuously debated for years to come. We, the current students of KMLA, along with other people of our generation, would be the ones working to untangle this complicated knot of history and politics; therefore, Minjok Herald selects Dokdo as our special issue for this volume. The Student Body Speaks Out In response to the conflict over Dokdo, KMLA previously stated its official opinions through the 17th Student Council and 14th Honor Committee. Along with 35,000 students nationwide, KMLA clearly stated that the disputed island belongs to Korea. Here is a brief chronicle of our ‘Fellowship of Dokdo.’ When the news of the tures / consistent design and layout that’ll continue after this issue / A new logo and typeface Multiple innovations: / Printed on a real newspaper / Have you noticed? The biggest crew ever with the New tabloid (comparable to new 10th wave members / The B4) paper and consequently a Herald online Café is born / A bigger number of articles & pic- Coat-of-Arm and Latin motto Relax, It’s us Sports Masters Bring Home Medals Takeshima Day incident reached Korea, the prevailing opinion on the campus was that KMLA students must speak out about the issue. Similarly, in the beginning of 2004, KMLA Student Council has taken an active part in protesting to the Chinese claim that Kokuryo is a part of its history. In April 2005, KMLA’s Student Council and Honor Committee began to take action by organizing a signature drive starting with the middle schools KMLA students have graduated from. The student governments could have used the network already established in each province’s Office of Education but instead decided to call the schools in person; using the network of Offices of Education, a note announcing the signature drive could be delivered to all schools nationwide, but a reply cannot be guaranteed. With the help of KMLA students providing contacts of numerous schools they were associated with, the created / Specialized photographer is in / New 9th wave editors and managers. We will be expecting your remarks. Tell us how you think about our changes. Thank you. members of the Student Council and Honor Committee chose inconvenience and definite replies over convenience and indefinite replies. Along with phone calls, the student governments used schools’ homepages. Day and night, the student representatives would post articles on the homepages noting them of the signature drive. Despite all the efforts, however, it was not possible to call for all schools’ participation. At the beginning of May, signature papers one by one started to arrive from all over. As a result of the signature drive, 35,000 students from fifty schools participated. By participating in the signature drive, the students expressed their concern about Dokdo and opposition to the ratification of Takeshima Day by the Shimane Government. On May 9th, 2005, the student representatives visited the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, carrying the signed papers. They tried to meet the Japanese Embassy personnel in person yet the Embassy refused. However, they were granted the permission to read aloud the Students’ Declaration in front of the Embassy and to leave the signed papers in a design a t e d place. The Students’ Declaration, not only declared Dokdo as Korea’s land but also urged Japan to apologize for distorting such HOW TO PREPARE FOR DOKDO SAFETY 1. STAY ON THE PHONE LINE : First, you should contact every student you know in Korea to draw other schools’ student bodies’ coorporation. 2. SIGN THE PAPERS : Then, collect the papers containing the signatures of over 35,000 students nationwide. 3. VISIT THE JAPANESE EMBASSY : Go and bring the signed papers to the Japanese Embassy and shout out your Students’ Declaration! 4. GO TO DOKDO AND CONFIRM : Finally, sail to the very islands and keep holding a placard, declaring that the Dokdo is clearly Korean. blatant truth, which can be supported with plenty of evidences. From June 4th to June 6th, the student representatives visited Dokdo in person. The initial plan was to visit Dokdo with the student representatives of the participating schools but due to the limited supply of tickets to Dokdo, it could not be carried out. Moreover, due to the temporary law prohibiting the entrance of people in Dokdo for the protection of its plants and animals, the student representatives could not directly step on Dokdo’s soil. However, near Dokdo, the KMLA student government one more time read out the Students’ Declaration. by SHIN, HEE YEON MINJOK HERALD [email protected] KOREAN MINJOK LEADERSHIP ACADEMY Free of Charge 강원도 횡성 민족사관고등학교는 영재교육으로 학생들의 창 Five sections; 20 pages Circulation: Quarterly 1,000 조적인 재능을 기르는 동시에, 민족지도자교육을 통해 민족 의식을 함양, 전통적인 가치를 계승하며 민족문화를 체득하게 하여 밝은 조국 건설과 인류 복지 증진에 기여할 각 계각층의 지도자를 양성하고자 설립 MINJOK HERALD HERALD’S 되었습니다. ————————— Work of all 10th wave members & some 9th wave members MARGENTA YELLOW CYAN BLACK minjok Editorial E section Page 2 citizenship. NAtIONAL ISSuE Reckless criticisms on dual nationals This amendment has not been applied to those who are not intentionally born abroad. For example, those who are born from parents with denizenship or citizenship of foreign country and living abroad are assumed to stay abroad and are counted as immigrants, not conflicted by the new law. It is natural for them to give up their nationality, but these people are also severely criticized. Besides, there are still some innocent people victimized because of the amendment. According to it, not only Korean male age of 18, but men who have finished their military service should also decide their nationality in two years. Because the Republic of Korea does not admit dual nationality, those people have to decide either nationality anyways. Consequently, they have been criticized despite practicing all their duties, such as taxes, military services and many others. Still Essentially-Needed Nationality Act As the Amendment of Nationality Act was issued, the severe criticism on dual nationals has burst out. Despite the public sentiment, the government should not interfere on nationality shifts of purely foreign-born children, most of whose parents are Korean emigrants. It is their right to choose their nationalities; however, the problem is with those parents who still wish to provide their children with all the benefits that are available in Korea, including medical insurance and the special admission process for foreign-educated children to renowned Korean universities. Laws must be revised in order purpose of this amendment is to to deprive the children of those remove such unbenefits. patriotic In this regard, we elewelcome the lawmakers’ move to withdraw benefits accorded to foreigners of Korean descent from anyone who has given up Korean nationality to avoid military conscription. Although the controversy has abated ments as some canceled changing from the sotheir nationality, public interest ciety. Thus, it requires that dual on the Amendment to Nationalnationals complete their miliity Act should not go silent. k tary service or renounce Korean Koreans Made in U.S. On the recent revision on the Nationality Law A growing number of Koreans have brought their children with dual nationalities to the Seoul immigration office to cancel Korean citizenship in favor of foreign citizenship. The sudden increase in the number of children abandoning Korean citizenship was the consequence of the revision of the nationality law last month. Object to prevent intentionally giving birth in foreign countries Koreans have intentionally given their children’s birth in more developed countries, hoping to avoid their children’s avoiding military enrollments. The amendment had been made to prevent this phenomenon from propagating. Although those who intentionally obtained dual nationalities do have the right to change their citizenships, they deserve blame for abandoning their national identities as Koreans. One of the two main points of this amendment is that first, dual nationals who are subject to their first military service may choose one or the other nationality within three months after the first military service list comes out. The second point is that once three months have past, dual nationals are allowed apply to renounce their ROK(Republic of Korea) nationality only after completing active military service, reserves or auxiliary service, second military service or upon exemption from military service. To change one’s nationality merely to avoid the military seems unfair to ordinary Ko- rean citizens, who regard it as their duty to send their children to the military for national defense. Therefore, it is normal for them to feel a sense of deprivation towards corporate executives, university professors and other well-to-do people who bestow their children with foreign nationalities. More galling still, some pregnant women go to those countries to deliver their children so the children will gain foreign citizenship. The amendment to Nationality Act is due to these recently increasing numbers of Korean women who are choosing to give birth in countries granting automatic citizenship to those born there. The principal reason for the mass abandonment of their own country’s citizenship is to avoid its obligations. The Editorial E section Page 3 ScHOOL LAw Are P.C. Regulations Really Practical? An ideal is sometimes apart from reality T he school is stubborn on its policy that games of any form and movies cannot be allowed in the dormitory. On the Minjok Festival of 2005, the school even prohibited the computer game tournament during the festival - an event that many students were looking forward to - for it contradicted the school’s policy against computer games. Ironically, instead of a computer game contest, a console game contest was held, though not many understood why console games should be any better than computer games. Surely, it is obvious that playing computer games and watching movies to an excessive degree will cause a negative influence on the students’ studies. But is this rule which forbids us to play any computer games or watch any movies at all, practical? These strict rules are only turning students into outlaws. Electronic Evil? The banning of computer games and movies may have been possible of being enforced strictly in the early years when there were fewer than a hundred students in the school. Unlike the old days when the school administration restricted even the most specific aspects of dormitory life, over three hundred fifty students inhabit the KMLA dormitory today, making it almost impossible for two housemasters to take care of all the students one by one. As the circumstances have changed, now, the rule itself is not a reason enough for it to be kept by everybody. We must consider that rules should be practical because it is the students’ willingness to comply with the rules that determine whether a school policy prevails or not. Several months ago, the school administration announced the evacuation of all personal computers on the judgment that students were abusing computers. Shocking as it sounds, the student council fortunately managed to negotiate with the school so that the students would not have to part with their computers as long as all games and movies were deleted from the computers. However, it must be pointed out that there were major flaws in the process in which this problem was settled. First of all, the evacuation of all personal computers in the dormito- ry, the solution that the school administration favored, was not at all a practical and realistic one. It might be dare said that all of the assignments given by teachers are somehow related to the access of computers and the internet. Furthermore, to keep up with the rapidly changing world while living in a remote school physically faraway from those changes, our computers are an inevitable part of our lives. Taking such harsh measures while neglecting these beneficial roles of computers would have been t o ‘burn t h e house to get rid of the mice’. Such impractical assertions by the school had only made it hard for students to believe whether the school was really willing to do such a thing, and gave plenty of reasons to disagree with the school’s suggestion. Secondly, the alternative was just as impractical: students were halfforced to agree and make a promise to the school that they would not play games or watch movies at all times. Students may have kept the truce for a couple of weeks or so. However, if the promise were a practical one, why are members of the Ministry of Internet Man- agement asking the students to ‘not get caught’ from violating computer regulations instead of ‘not violate’ computer regulations? Moreover, why are so many students reinstalling their games and movies? The negotiation between the school and the students was not a complete and rather a temporary one that had seemingly settled the conflict only for some time. A Solution The following seems to be a good compromise between the school and the students: Free students from computer regulations on Sundays, a day on which students should be able to relieve stress from the tight schedules of weekdays. It is already being done this way under the unspoken agreement among students and the stud e n t housemaster. It is better to bring students back into the boundaries of school rules than to make them outlaws by setting impractical and nominal school rules. Furthermore, KMLA students have more self-discipline than any other students of their age in order to keep up with their pressuring school work, living in a dormitory without their parents to supervise them. Evidence of self-discipline in KMLA students are found in their hair regulations. Unlike most schools, our school does not have a particular hair regulation to limit the freedom of students. Nevertheless, students keep their hair at an appropriate level that the teachers approve of. In this context, we can infer that KMLA students are certainly capable of restraining themselves from excessive games or movies, and clearly have enough sensibility to understand their priorities. Instead of giving students the freedom to do whatever they would like to with their computers on Sunday, the currently nominal Ministry of Internet Management should strictly enforce the computer regulations during the weekdays when students should really be focusing on their studies. Even though the idealistic solution would be to let students control themselves, for those who are careless enough to prolong their free leisure from the weekends to the weekdays, some sort of restriction must be imposed upon. The housemaster’s supervision alone may not serve enough as a restriction, because, as mentioned above, students have surpassed the dormitory housemasters in number and in craftiness. That is why we must ask the Ministry of Internet Management, those who know us better than anyone else, to practice necessary evil. Surely, hardly anyone would be daring enough to break computer regulations against school rules, the housemaster, Ministry of Internet Management, and ultimately, their own good. Ideal and Reality Rules are certainly rules and they are meant to be kept. However, as time passes and circumstances change, the rules should be adapted to the changes in circumstances. The most idealistic ways are not always the best ways. Lenient reeds are often stronger than stiff trees that do not bend at all. The solution to the problem in computer usage works the same way. The school should not enforce rules that lack practicality, and the students should strictly keep the established rules. k Editorial E section Page 4 ScHOOL ADMINIStRAtION Everything is Up to Ourselves School Says, ‘No More Supervisors In Test Centers’ M uch controversy is about to brew up in the upcoming midterm as the school decided that supervisors will not be ‘needed’ any more in the test centers. This latest and obviously unexpected measure states that students will no longer be monitored while taking their tests, with technically no one to stop any attempts of cheating except the test takers themselves. Officially announced by the headmaster during the ending ceremony right before summer vacation, this policy has already aroused rather skeptical responses among the students. With no one actually knowing what to expect of this totally new system, many students are showing doubts on whether it will turn out to be all right. No Cheaters? Although abruptly notifying the new policy at the parents’ conference and the ending ceremony, the school did not explain efficiently enough on the background and insights surrounding this policy. It was not only a totally new topic with no preceding discussions or what- soever but also a surprising conclusion considering the shock over the cheaters punished in the last semester. As we all know, the school takes cheating very seriously, considering it as one of the major three taboos forbidden within the campus. Confronting a special committee, doing social services, and drawing an inerasable line on one’s ‘papers’ are only some of what one will have to face after violating this school rule. Yet, records tell us that despite such dreadful consequences, there have always been students who were caught cheating during exams. Even recently, three tenth waves were severly punished due to their misdeeds during the finals last semester. Now students are asking, “How many more will start cheating after the only authorities to catch them suddenly don’t show up on the morning of our exams?” The temptation is definitely huge. Hopes for higher GPAs and better grades linger within everyone. Many think that glancing over the other student’s paper might give them a more satisfying report card to send home. Especially, all the competition among fellow students and the stress resulting after preparing for the exams can certainly lead one astray. Also the testing environment in which nearly 90 people are crammed in makes it easier to cheat. Having barely any space to spread both arms, students often feel rather sieged around others with their test papers just within eyesight. This very fact has already been pointed out by many teachers who have monitored Critical Reading tests and midterms in the past. With these conditions already existing, it is highly predictable that the absence of proctors will exacerbate foul plays during exam periods. No Teacher in the Room : Samhyeon Girls’ High School is one of the schools that practice No-Supervisor examination policy. and carelessly. Truly, there must have been some reasons for this unexpected measure. Here, we ask another question. Will there really be an increase in the number of students violating testing regulations as supervisors stop monitoring exams? While negative views prevail, some think it is odd to just simply conclude that more cheating will occur after the policy is applied. Though it can be thought that cheating may become fairly NO JOKE : Is GPA important? I think so. easy with no proctors, it may end up to be different from what Another Viewpoint most are anticipating. We must also consider the fact Factors like conscience and that the school would not have self respect may have more inmade such decision so easily fluence to the students. Whereas going through all the risk of simply looking over the shoulder might seem ‘worth it’ under the very noses of proctors, students may have second thoughts in doing so when they are not being watched. In other words, the lack of pressure that existed in the presence of teachers can bring more shame upon those who cheat, and eventually, student will become less allured to do so. Although we think of being overseen in any kind of test as an obvious thing, not to mention the fact that it is being practiced universally, it is a symbol of distrust whether we are conscious of it or not. However, the Editorial OPINION E section Page 5 non-monitoring system does not constrain the test takers from violating rules, but rather it asks and trusts them not to do so. There is no doubt that the teachers and other faculty members who participated in making the policy considered this characteristic of the system as a major reason for the final decision. By adapting what is not found in most schools, our school is declaring that it is time for the self dignity and conscience of each student to take the places of supervisors. The school hopes that by taking their exams under such circumstances, students will examine their academical skills and also learn the importance of self-controlling any temptation to do something dishonest. Changes Depend On How We Look At Them Frequent change in the policies is our school’s merit and at the same time, demerit. During the last decade, KMLA has encountered numerous changes through the process to be Korea’s most prestigious high school. Some changes contributed greatly to its development while others remained as aching scars still in today. However, whether small or large, it never was the change itself that influenced the educational system and the campus life of the school but how we, members of the KMLA family, accepted it. It is how all the students, parents, and faculty members accept and understand those changes and gather together to find the best solutions that truly determine the influence that follows. The new policy on testing regulations is clearly one of those changes. There is no doubt that it will bring a huge impact on our testing environment. Ye t , it is im- portant to understand that the influence of this policy will be determined by us. If many are allured to the temptation of cheating, then the school will have to consider its measures on testing regulations again. On the contrary, if we are to take exams according to how much each of us prepare for them, the school’s decision will be evaluated as reasonable and the policy will also become one of the outstanding merits that make KMLA unique and renowned. Having faith in this policy will make it a very successful one, while expressing skepticism will lead it to a complete failure. Whatever result will occur after the October midterm is still a mystery, but we must understand that we are the one who will determine it. k READERS’ OPINIONS Students’ Voice on Curfew&Selfstudy Self-study time : 7 p.m. ~ 9 p.m., 9.30 p.m. ~ 12 p.m. Curfew : 0:30 a.m. ~ This is the hours of selfstudy time and curfew in KMLA. Students are required to self-study for 4 and half hours a day, and come back to their rooms until 0:30 a.m. All KMLA students are asked to follow these rules. The dormitory dean strictly supervises students to obey both self-study time and curfew. If students are caught violating the time restrictions, they are sent to the student court. Although students are well aware of the fact that they have to adhere to the rules, on every week’s student court list, there are always a few people going to the student court for violating self-study time and curfew. Although these rules are only basic school rules, which are not at all difficult to follow, many students are having troubles adjusting to these rules. This situation pushes toward a question: Why are students violating these rules, if they are well aware of the consequences of violating it? By asking them KMLA students their straight opinions on these issues, the outspoken comments of some KMLA students about their opinions are obtained. The interviews show that the current rules concerned on self-study time and curfew are not perfect; they need revising. Although revising the school rule is not an easy process, it is necessary for the sake of student’s benefits. the efforts made by students Moreover, students should be to make a better school would aware that they should not continue. k only try to change the school by JEuNG, HAEIN rules, but also follow the rules MINJOK HERALD as well. As long as the [email protected] fections of school rules exist, special report news N section Page 6 KOREAN-JAPANESE cONfLIct OvER DOKDO KNOW: the REASONS The Things that Make Dokdo Ours W hy is Dokdo a part of Korea? Because... ‘It is’? This won’t get you very far and at the same time, unfortunately, it is the best answer a lot of Koreans can give you when you ask the question. What really makes Dokdo ours? What are the assertions of the Japanese government? We need some rational reasons and rebuttals, instead of emotional assumptions based on our deeply rooted dislike against Japan. This article will compare the views of the Korean and Japanese governments and provide clear evidence and rebuttals that can prove Dokdo is a part of Korea. Japanese Points ‘didn’t’ do anything. Furthermore, we should note the fact that it was only a province of Japan that claimed Dokdo as a part of its territory, not the Japanese government itself. It means that the Japanese government was afraid to make such assertions itself because it feared the criticism from other nations. Former Occupation? k The Japanese government says that they occupied Dokdo first, which legally makes Dokdo their territory. We must think about what the term ‘occupy’ means in the international Korean Points Shimane Province claimed Dokdo as a part of Shimane, and the Korean government did not raise any objections. The Korean government had lost its right of diplomacy by force from the Japanese. We could not raise any objections. The Japanese government occupied Dokdo first. Their occupation can’t be accepted because Dokdo was initially occupied by Korea. The Sanfrancisco Treaty does not mention Dokdo as one of the islands that Japan must relinquish. True—it doesn’t mention anything about Dokdo. So according to SCAPIN 677, a document that defines Japanese territory, Dokdo is a part of Korea. Takeshima? j On February 22nd, 1905, Shimane, a province of Japan, claimed Dokdo(Takeshima) as its territory, which was notified to the Korean government (대한제국) on the April of the next year. They say that the Korean government and the people accepted this without any objections. This is where most debates start on the Dokdo matter. However, it is meaningless to say that the Korean government did not raise any objections against Shimane Province because the Korean government had already lost its right of diplomacy. In other words, the Korean government couldn’t do anything about it. Also, a great number among the Korean public remonstrated against the Japanese when they heard this news. Therefore we should say that the Korean government ‘couldn’t’ do anything, not law. The things required to occupy new land is: First, for the land to not be pre-occupied by another country. Second, the country that wills to occupy the land must notify it to other countries. Third, the country must practice complete authority over the land. Now, did the Japanese government really occupy Dokdo? It did not meet any of these three requirements. We had already ‘occupied’ Dokdo on the year 512, by King Ji-Jeung of Shilla. Since then, Dokdo has always been a part of Korea. Japan says that their people used Dokdo as an outpost by their fishermen in the 17th century. However, this was using our territory without any rights and this is why ‘안용복’, a single civilian, went to Dokdo and drove away the Japanese fishermen as it is written in Japanese records. Furthermore, so many Japanese maps (like the one shown) clearly show that Dokdo was initially occupied by Korea. Therefore, their assertion that Dokdo wasn’t pre-occupied doesn’t make any sense. Secondly, even if Japan had notified Dokdo as a part of their territory according to the second requirement of ‘occupation’, it was only by a province, and this can’t be viewed as an official notification toward foreign countries. Also, the Korean government was not able to raise any objections at the time for the reason mentioned above. We can also see that they did not meet the third requirement either. All they did was measuring of the island, and let the fishermen catch fish in the sea around the island. This can’t be considered as ‘complete’ authority over the island. On the other hand, Korea has had, and currently has complete authority over Dokdo. This can be proved by the police force we have in Dokdo. An Exception? l The Japanese government says the San Francisco Treaty did not mention Dokdo as one of the islands it must give up to Korea. It is true that the San Francisco Treaty, which took care of various problems after World War II, does not state Dokdo as one of the islands that Japan must relinquish to Korea. However, we focus on the fact that Dokdo is not mentioned anywhere in the San Francisco Treaty. Initially, Dokdo was also included among the islands that must be given up to Korea, but the Japanese government suggested to the American government that it would let the US forces use Dokdo as a military base if they let Dokdo remain a part of Japan. However, because of the objections from other countries like England and New Zealand, US could not have it this way and avoided this matter by not mentioning Dokdo at all, as the territory of niether Korea nor Japan. Before the Sanfrancisco Treaty, in January 29th, 1946, a document named scapin 677 clearly defined Japanese territory. scapin 677 clearly defined Dokdo as a part of Korea, not Japan. Therefore, scapin 677, which holds legal effectiveness in international law, proves that Dokdo is a part of Korea, since Dokdo isn’t mentioned anywhere in the Sanfrancisco Treaty. An Integral Part of All of Us These were only some of numerous evidences why Dokdo is a part of Korea. Dokdo is not important to us only because of its economical meanings related with its plentiful resources, but is also important because it is related with our identity as Koreans. Furthermore, it will have negative influences on all the relationships with Japan if the Dokdo case continues to be a problem between the two countries. Now that we once have the momentum and interest of everybody, we must solve this problem once and for all. k by KIM, SHIN MINJOK HERALD [email protected] special report editorial E section Page 7 KOREAN-JAPANESE cONfLIct OvER DOKDO SENSE. not SENSIBILITY The wise position both Korea and Japan should take over Dokdo fairs and Trade does not react against the Japanese claims or conducts of certain extremists in Japan. The Korean Government even seems indifferent to this issue. Nevertheless, its real intention is to prevent the Japanese from developing the issue into an international dispute because this issue can be favorably applied to Japan if it is to be dealt in International Court. Yet, if continuous and peaceful display of sovereignty is maintained and if the issue of Dokdo is not to be dealt by International Court, as is stipulated in the international statute, the effective control of Korea can be acknowledged. Therefore, the Korean government is coping with the problem with an appropriate and wise way. The attitude of the Korean public T he Japanese claims over Dokdo have recently worsened its relations with South Korea. Putting aside positive and active economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, the two countries still eye each other warily and with doubt. The sensitive gap between the neighboring countries was visible in a recent survey conducted by two newspapers in Korea and Japan. Yet, both countries should keep in mind that excessively radical and emotional reactions are lose-lose proposals. The Current Status of the Korean government In case of Korea, a domestic conflict has taken place in between the Korean government and the Korean public for each of them is taking different positions regarding the Dokdo issue. The Korean government poses a fairly passive and inactive attitude; whereas the public takes radical ones. The Korean Ministry of Foreign Af- The Korean public’s attitude is obviously in contrast to that of Korean government. The public has held massive emotional rallies for weeks protesting the Japanese claims to Dokdo. Some of them burned themselves to death in Seoul while others even cut off their fingers during the protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Some tore out and burned the Japanese flag, or even set fire to a Japanese electronics company building. These all were done to show their firm will and stance pertaining to the Dokdo issue. Koreans, against their government that does not represent their opinion, have been harshly criticizing the government. Nonetheless, such radical behavior undermines the position of Korea. It is crucial to maintain tranquility for the Korean public. Koreans should not react impulsively and sentimentally because such behavior can worsen the situation by summoning the issue before the International Court. The task at hand is not to arouse an internal dispute, but to firmly establish Korea’s stance in the global society. Then, why do Koreans become so sensitive regarding the issue of Dokdo? Significance of the Ownership A strong sense of unity is often said to be one of the Koreans’ most remarkable national traits, and it led to Koreans’ response against Japanese. When a certain event regarding their fatherland happens, Koreans have shown their surprisingly firm solidarity as they did during the World Cup in 2002. Tensions have escalated recently over the Japanese government’s approval of right-wing school textbooks, claims for the Dokdo islands, and tribute visits of its prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi to the Yasukuni Shrine honoring World War ii war criminals. Korean’s animosity toward Japan has been aroused long before the Choson dynasty by suffering from Japanese pirates. Later, Japan colonized Korea between 1910 and 1945 until its defeat in World War II. During the colonization period, Koreans were deprived of all their sovereignty rights and watched helplessly as their sons were forced into the Japanese military and daughters into mss (military sexual slavery). Koreans were even more enraged at the lack of Japanese compensation for Korean victims. Japanese imperialism has infringed upon human rights of Koreans during the colonization and to the victimized ones it seems to be extending to present. Japanese radical actions with respect to the Dokdo issue are still stimulating Koreans. More antagonism toward Japan erupted earlier this year when Japan’s Shimane Prefecture had established the “Takeshima Day,” and claimed the symbolic right to the Korean-controlled Dokdo islands in the East Sea between the two countries. Takeshima is the Japanese name for Dokdo. Japanese move was simply unacceptable to the Koreans both in north and south since Dokdo has been a symbol of Korea’s liberation from Japan after years of colonization. Moreover, the English version homepage of Vank(Voluntary Agency Network of Korea), had been hacked just weeks before. Its web board had been swamped with messages assumed to have been written by Japanese and its main linking had been disconnected after the hackers’ attack. Some Japanese have reclaimed Google Earth to rectify the term “Dokdo” and change it into “Takeshima”. It ended up with Google’s decision to use both terms. The maps appended to the Japanese government authorized geography textbooks for elementary and secondary schools to indicate Dokdo as Japanese territory. Such deeds done by the Japanese definitely do not confer a salutary attitude; they do make the Koreans apprehend whether Japan aspires to pursue neo-imperialism. Korea and Japan are close with in their cultural characteristics, appearances and economies. They have shared many things through their long history, and are still inevitable companions. Therefore, the two should together take one step further towards their mutual development in the global stage. In the course of achieving it, they ought to stop quarrelling, but be reasonable and sensible. Instead of merely presenting their country’s argument and not caring to listen to the others, it is now the time to compromise the point with sense, not with sensibility. k news N section Page 8 A Relaxer Day. Minjok Festival 2005. J Students enjoyed tattoos, 달고나, and especially the food 문기부 had prepared in which there was an even greater variety of menus than last year’s festival. There was a watermelon-eating competition, cake-making competition, and even a water balloon throwing event. It was definitely an exciting time for all the KMLA students. In the evening, there was a KMLA dance party along with many performances the students prepared for the occasion. The party started with the grand performances of the 9th wave Salsa and Waltz teams. The Miss Minjok Competition was the greatest hit of all; ten teams participated and disguised boys to look like girls. Their witty performances shocked all the KMLA students and filled them with laughter. Then the performances of Rhyme Factory, PLZ, FITM, and NAB followed. The final Dance Party was the peak of the day. 문기부 prepared special equipments and music so the students could have a greater time than ever. By the end of the party everyone was completely exhausted, but their faces were filled with immense satisfaction. 9th wave students, as their final Minjok Festival and 10th wave students as their first, all admitted that it had been a wonderful day, a day to completely cool off from studies, with certainly no worries; just laughter and enjoyment. Hopefully, the Minjok Festival will always be as enjoyable as the one this year. k ust sit back and relax, for this is the day with no stress—the Minjok Festival has finally come! No worries about class, no worries about exams, no worries about homework, but just a day to enjoy a variety of exhibitions, food, and performances the students of KMLA have prepared for such a long time. Nine O’clock in the morning, the KMLA orchestra announced the start of the festival playing the remarkable “Sudeki Dane” followed by a performance from Samuchim. The Dasan and Chungmoo Halls which were filled with various exhibitions and activities finally opened their gates and students anxiously went inside. As soon as they stepped inside the Dasan Hall, they could see the exhibition of Kyung Kuk Ji Hwa showing a series of works the members had illustrated. An especially eyecatching sight was the brilliant exhibition of character costumes that each member of Kyung Kuk Ji Hwa wore. On the right side of the exhibition of Kyung Kuk Ji Hwa, a corner for fortune-telling with Taro cards was booming in business. Across the fortunetelling corner, Apple Pie, KMLA’s astronomy club, magnificently changed a classroom into a night by KIM, JEESuN sky filled with stars and constelMINJOK HERALD lations. Deeper inside the [email protected] ing, there was a section for the SD, KMLA’s art club, where the members made special badges for students in which students “MOMENTS OF THE FESTIVAL” Top left: KMLA Orchestra’s opening performance / Top right: An Apple Pie member selling constellation bookmarks / Second row left: could ask for any kind of drawing a KMLA Samulnori club, Samuchim is performing. / Second row right: Staffs preparing to sell food in the front garden / Third row left: The NAB members performing / Third row right: Tango and Waltz performance / Left: FITM, along with a few other bands, performed in the very end of the party. they would like on their badges. Along the stairs up to the second floor, TTL, KMLA’s photography club, displayed several pictures that the members had taken themselves. The theme of this exhibition was ‘color’, and many students purchased the pictures. On the second floor, there was a room filled with masterpieces of caligraphy서예, and another room in which the members of Ma Dong, KMLA’s magician club, showed magic tricks - each person performing a different show. In Chungmoo Hall, Dul Kuk Hwa, KMLA’s poetry club, displayed poems along with beautiful illustrations in the main hall, and Department of Library prepared a Board Game Cafe in the library. There were many activities outside, too. News N section Page 9 Miss Minjok: A Unique Beauty Contest: Charmingly Cross-dressed Kayemelaian boys A beauty contest in KMLA, does that make sense? Girls here don’t seem to accept the concept of being shown merely as “beautiful girls.” Then, what is Miss Minjok? Miss Minjok is a beauty contests for boys who are dressed up as girls, and this year it was held for the second time. A total of ten groups(constituting of the participating boys and girls who dressed them up) participated in the contest. The contest was held right before the dance party. KMLA students were extremely shocked by the participants’ brilliant performances, which were mostly dances. Furthermore, the boys were dressed up so cute, that many girls envied their body line. Ninth wave Hyungsoo Park and Tenth wave Seungwoo Song were awarded the first prize. Tenth wave Dongjun Lee received the second prize, tenth wave Shin Kim and Inson Yoon got the third prize. Though not included in top three awards, Saeook Park was awarded for his shocking performance. The participants and the organizers of this contest had put in a lot of effort. This doubled the joy of the crowd, and many said that it was an excellent program to start the exciting dance party of Minjok Festival. The contest was initiated last year by the department of student guidance. Ninth wave Sungmin Lee suggested the idea of holding the contest, saying that since the student guidance department always supervises students’ attires, why not give the students an opportunity to decorate themselves by setting up such a program during the Minjok festival? Although this contest has a short history, seeing this year’s participants’ performances and the response of the rest of the school, it is definitely becoming one of the core events of the Minjok Festival. k by JEuNG, HAEIN MINJOK HERALD [email protected] A Thank-You Day for Kayemelaian Teachers. 2005 Teacher’s Day & Awesome Celebration : thanks-giving performances O n May 14th, the day before the Teacher’s Day, KMLA students held a very special event for their teachers. Many students performed in front of teachers to make the day more interesting and memorable. The event was held in the gymnasium with all the students and teachers present. Here is the full story. At third period of the day, all the teachers and students of KMLA went to the gymnasium. Students came a little earlier than the teachers to set up the event. As things were getting ready, the students lined up, creating a pathway from the entrance of the gymnasium to the seats for the teachers near the stage. As the chief of the Student Council called each teacher’s name, the teachers came in one by one, holding a student’s hand. All the Mentor’s March: Professor Williams, accompanied by Jeeyoon, is walking through the students welcomed them and cheer of the students. clapped loudly as the teachers smiled and ran down the pathway. And just for the occasion, both of the dormitory deans came up to the gymnasium to participate in the event. After teachers took their seats, the Teacher’s Day celebration event began. First, five 10th wave girls in the Minjok field sang while dancing. Their performance was rather out of the ordinary and many teachers laughed out loud. After that, the chief of the student council called several 9th and 10th wave students to come up to the stage. They especially imitated some of their teachers and some of them were almost exactly the same. It could have seemed rather impolite but it certainly presented all the teachers with very special memories. After several interesting performances, it was time for the teachers and students to watch the video that students recorded during the last few weeks. However, there was a problem with the projector, and it was impossible to watch the video. Everyone was quite disappointed but still, it was a wonderful and amazing event even without the video. Throughout this special event, everyone felt that all the teachers and students got closer to each other. They were also reminded of how precious and essential we are to each other. Especially for the students, they must have felt gratitude for their teachers for taking care of them just like their parents. As we are certain that the respect and love felt during this event will last forever, the special teacher’s day hopefully will be celebrated again next year! k by YOuN SOJuNG MINJOK HERALD [email protected] news N section Page 10 Fly Me to the Moon KMLA Students at the International Symposium on Space Launch Infrastructure “T hey must be monks to be wearing the same Hanbok like that.”, “No, they look like they are going to do some kind of performance.” These are only some of the interesting comments KMLA students have received at the International Symposium on Space Launch Infrastructure. KMLA students clearly aroused sensation at the Symposium, not only with their peculiar outfits but also with their excellent performance in their volunteer work. About 35 KMLA students spent 3 days, from May 5th to 7th, at the Interna- tional Symposium on Space L au n c h Infrastructure in Goheung county, Jeonnam Province, helping out with the interpretation at the symposium. The symposium, an important event for the development of the Korean aerospace industry, had invited aerospace engineers from all over the world. KMLA students played a key role in helping the foreign visitors communicate easily with the symposium staff. “They were a huge help to us. They played an essential role in helping us talk to the foreigners.” “KMLA students are so polite. I had been thinking that smart students are arrogant and self-centered. B u t KMLA stud e n t s bow to elders so eagerly.” Said some of the staffs when I asked them how they thought about us. But it is not only us who gave help. Students also learned a lot from being at the symposium not only from the lectures of professors on aerospace, but students also learned valuable lessons from the personal conversation they had with the engineers. This is one of the stories I heard : “Engineering is finding better solutions to problems in our everyday lives. What the problems are may differ from what field you work on, but the ultimate goal is the same. When I was at a conference in England a couple of years ago, I saw some professors trying to figure out the height of a pole so that they can find some rope long enough to put the flag up. The professors thought of several complicated ways to measure the height of the pole using the Pythagoras’ theorem. However, a person passing by suggested that they simply pull the pole out of the ground and lay it on the ground so that they can measure it. In this case, the person passing by was a better engineer than the professors. Furthermore, what makes the difference between a smart engineer and one that is not is how fast you figure out whether you can solve a problem or not. Some problems just might be impossible to solve and some might be over your head. Many engineers actually do waste a lot of their time on problems they can’t solve.” told Guy C. Duberley (Senior Engineering Staff and the Aquinas Group in England), to KMLA students. After the three day long volunteer work in Go Heung, each student came back with their own valuable lessons. Some came back with a better understanding of the Korean aerospace industry, and oth- ers came back with clear ideas of what they might be doing 20 or 30 years later. And for everybody, it was an excellent chance to have special volunteer work and spend three days out of our monotonous everyday lives in the school dormitory. <A Quick Interview> Pier Michele Roviera is A French aerospace engineer working for the ESA(European Space Agency) who came to Goheung to give a lecture on ‘The ESA Ariane launch facilities at the Guiana Space Center’ Minjok Herald : How do you feel to be in Korea? Pier Michele Roviera : Even though it’s my first time in Korea, I don’t feel like I’m new here. I want to thank the staff from Goheung county for giving me such a warm welcome. I’m also quite impressed that such a big symposium is being held. M.H : What do you think of our students from KMLA? Roviera : Their English speaking abilities are very impressive and I want to thank them for making me feel at-home. M.H : What do you think is the best part about being a aerospace engineer? Roviera : Space activities are always new and innovative. In consequence, aerospace engineers are always looking for something new. I’ve been working on over 50 rocket launches into space but each launch has always been different. I think that this is the biggest attraction to the people working in this field. We work for an infinite possibility and it is never the same. M.H : Some of the students here at the symposium are hoping to work in the field of aerospace. What would you like to say to these students? Roviera : I can tell you that being an aerospace engineer is very rewarding. Not in terms of money though. I’ll be candid with you about the fact that aerospace engineers don’t earn as much money as other people think they would, and there are many other jobs that earn much more money. But you can believe me that it is very rewarding in another sense. A person who hasn’t launched a rocket into space that he or she has been working on wouldn’t know how it feels. It’s somewhat like flying yourself. k by KIM, SHIN / MINJOK HERALD /[email protected] “Learn, as if you’ve never learned before” KMLA Continuing Education 2005 program for Adult learners: 평생교육원 O ne Sunday morning, Time Schedule not yet awake from the A.M 6 : 00 ~ Wake up, Morning sleepy weekend, KMLA 07 : 00 exercise, class prep students went up for breakfast A.M 7 : 30 ~ Breakfast and saw couple hundred adults 08 : 20 lined up for breakfast. EveryA.M 8 : 30 ~ period 1 ~ 3 13:30 body was full of questions. Who P.M 12 : 30 ~ were they? Why were they here? lunch 13 : 30 After all, KMLA students soon P.M 1 : 30 ~ found out that these special period 4 ~ 6 5 : 30 “adult students” were the parP.M 5 : 30 ~ Dinner/Break time ticipants of the first session of 7 : 00 the Minjok Leadership AcadP.M 7 : 00 ~ Group study (Assignemy Continuing Education 8 : 20 ment or Debating) Program. KMLA’s motto, esP.M 8 : 20 - 8 Snack time : 40 tablished at its foundation was P.M 8 : 40 ~ Group study (Assignpromoting the spirit of Minjok 10 : 00 ment or Debating ) and preparing for globalization P.M 10 : 00 ~ by acquiring the knowledge of Bed time/ Self Study 12 : 00 English. With this maxim and the help of the ESTP English A Grown-up Schedule: Daily class and dormitory schedule for the Continuing Foundation and ACT Organiza- Education program participants. tion, the Academy established the program. Another purpose of creating the program was to have more financial support for KMLA. The cost for this continuous education program is relatively higher compared to other annexed college programs; it has a cost of 12 million won. The program is based on a group of 102 students, who participate in several sessions. Any adult willing to study english and get a sense of the language are very welcome. The time span is 13 weeks, and the second session starts about to start from September 12 and lasts through December 10th, 2005. A student will be staying at his or her dormitory sharing the room with two other peers, just like the system in KMLA. Schedule-wise, the program has a very unique schedule which includes group discussions, debates, self study time, and several periods of intense lectures. As the first wave of the members completed their session, many of the students left with a strong impression of both KMLA and what they have learned. From many of the opinions listed on the web site after the program, many were satisfied and considered it a true learning experience. As time passes, KMLA hopes to see great progresses from this ESPT Center, another part of our KMLA Family. k by KIM, GAHYuN MINJOK HERALD a News N section Page 11 Introducing the New Captains the 18th Student Council & the 15th Honor Committee O n September 24th, 2005, the new student council and honor committee members were elected by the KMLA students. Lee Dae Han became the chief, Ryu Min Woo and Park Hyung Sik became the vice chiefs, Lee Jong Weon became the manager, and Kim Young Min and Kim Jee Soo became the members of the 18th student council. For the 15th honor committee, Cho Hee Kyung became the chief, Heo Min Hong and Seo Jung Kyu became the vice chiefs, Lee Hyung Min became the manager, and Park Sung Min and Cha So Wan became the members. After the election, the students showed their support of the new leaders of their school by giving them applause after each of their introductory greetings. The new student body replaces the 17th student council and the 14th honor committee. They did a great job leading our school the last semester, especially taking part in the Dokdo campaigns. They also paid a lot of attention to the details of school life, improving the small rules for student comfort. The students hope that the new student body can build upon the success of the earlier body and make KMLA into an even better school. k by HwANG, wANG, JIHAE w The 18th Student Council Chief : LEE, DAEHAN As the campaigning session officially began at midnight, September 14th, I rushed to see the juniors. I had to show them my sincere plans and visions as the chief of the student council. From then on, I spent a lot of time talking with fellow students every day – more than 30 minutes on each room. It took me almost a week to visit all of the rooms. However, as a result, I’ve come to stand in front of you as the chief of the student council. The chief must speak for both the students and the school. The chief should gather opinions from the students but should also convey the school’s plans and requirements. I will try my best to exercise my flexibility like a “rubber band” and successfully lead our school with great student council. I, and the 18th student council, promise that we will not lose our passion and become a hard-working student council. The 15th Honor Committee Chief : cHO, HEEKYuNG Thanks for everyone’s support. The fifteenth honor committee will do our best to successfully implement the unsupervised exam policy and improve the court systems. Please keep a watch on us; we’ll be the best. MINJOK HERALD [email protected] Juniors @ Kayemelay Global Leadership Program for Students S ummer vacation! Students, meeting at last the end of their first semester, have left school for a long, long rest at home. However, KMLA is still busy packed with new students who have come from all over the country as far as Jeju. They are the GLPS students, ranging from sixth grade to eighth grade, who have come to KMLA for a very special experience during their summer. The Global Leadership Program for Students is a summer camp from July 25 to August 20 for 320 elementary and middle school students. They have been chosen by KMLA through rigorous examinations. Many of them dream to become future KMLA students and have come to GLPS under the desire to experience the ambience of KMLA which they admire so much. Therefore, KMLA has put forth great effort to specialize the GLPS programs and fully satisfy the students. GLPS students attended eight classes each day from 9:00 to 5:45. The classes were mainly focused on English; English debate, drama, speech, movie, literature classes are some examples. Foreigners were hired especially for these English classes and students felt very content about the things they learned in their classes. In addition to classes, KMLA strictly required GLPS students to keep EOP 24 hours a day. At first, students had a hard time com- municating with each other, but soon got used to this policy, even mentioning how effective it was. One difference between the GLPS held this summer from those of the past is the fact that math classes were held four times a week just for the eighth graders. Some students had some difficulties catching the flow of the classes at first, but soon adjusted. There was also a Math-Only Study Hall prepared for the students who had questions about math problems. Three Math TAs were always ready to lend a helping hand during the selfset study periods. The rest of the classes were PE classes in which students got a chance to learn Gumdo, archery, golf, and sports dance. In addition to classes, GLPS students had many special activities such as cooking, rafting, the dance party, dinner party, pop song contest, and English speech contest. Spending a month at KMLA, GLPS students admitted that they learned more than they had expected. Away from home for the first time in their lives, they learned the enormous existence of their friends and family inside their hearts. The students mentioned that after the first week had passed, they noticed how big the empty spot usually filled with their families was; they also felt deep thanks towards their parents who had paid nearly one million won per week just for their education. They had many memorable times with new friends and teachers they met at GLPS, and promised to always cherish these happy memories. This one-in-a-lifetime chance was indeed a very special one for these students. PA Eun Young Lim said, “Before I actually started working as a PA, I never even imagined how close I would become with the students at GLPS. However, as I spent time with these students, I could definitely feel the spirit and warm hearts they carried. It was a wonderful time in which I learned more from the students than I actually taught them. I am very happy that they obtained much from this summer at KMLA.” k by KIM, JEESuN MINJOK HERALD [email protected] We’re waiting for Your Special Contributions! TOP 3 REASONS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MINJOK HERALD OUTSOURCING 1. GET FAMOUS! : Want to be popular among your classmates & teachers? Want to appear smart to your outside friends? Here is your chance! An article in the Minjok Herald will surely make your friends’ parents say, “얘는 누구길래 이렇게 똑똑하니?” 2. GET POWER! : Edward Bulwer-Lytton, the famous British novelist, said, “Beneath the rule of men entirely great, The pen is mightier than the sword.” Writing for the Minjok Herald is guaranteed to make you ever more influential! 3. GET INTO COLLEGES! : In the <Official SAT Study Guide> from the College Board, it says on page 103, “Good writing is one of the key factors in doing well in college. It demonstrates what you understand and what you are able to communicate to others.” Obviously, colleges want students with ability to write. Your talent as a writer will be clearly proven through your participation in the Minjok Herald outsourcing. PLEASE CONTACT ONE OF THE EDITORS. Thank you. Student life N section Page 12 A MINJOK HERALD - SOCKSACKIM JOINT ARTICLE / SOCKSACKIM IS THE KMLA’S PEER COuNSELING COMMuNITy. < Dealing with Conflicts… Help is just a whisper away! > cOMMuNIcAtION Dealing with conflicts: Socksackim can help! F or many teenagers, communication is a big problem. Many present rosy views on the teenage years— how wonderful it is to be young, the unlimited possibilities and such. However, we know that that is not all about this crucial period in life. Teenage years are also splattered with emotional roller coasters, slammed doors, and broken hearts. Korean Minjok Leadership Academy’s counseling club, Socksackim (which means “whisper” in Korean), was cre- from the movie, 가족, 2004 가족 from Brad Pitt: “Too much pressure !” My parents are nearly choking me. I am just a normal student, but I think my parents always want something better from me. Even though my grades went up a little last semester, my parents constantly talked about the student in the top. I am so angry that now I don’t even want to go on from here. After all that criticism, my parents’ stories always continue about this girl who plays violin well and that boy who is a talented soccer player. These days, whenever I hear someone’s talent, it directly acts as a heavy pressure on me. What should I do? Socksackim says: Bradley, we also know how hard it is to stand such criticizing remarks, for we also have such experience. It is very disappointing, isn’t it? We suggest that you honestly talk with your parents about this problem. “Mom, Dad, your criticisms and comparing remarks only disparage me. I hope you can understand me.” Your parents will notice that you are no longer a kid and will try to pay attention to your sensitive emotions. Ms. Park’s advice: How about writing a letter? An e-mail would also be fine. In your letter, tell your parents about how you feel. Tell them about how frustrated you are, how hard you have tried, and last but not least, how much you need their encouragements. I strongly suggest that you express yourself first. ated to help such lost teenagers. The club is run by teenagers, a fact that attracts many in need. Instead of didactic advices, teenagers can expect friendly and real-life advices from teenagers just like themselves. With the help of Ms. Park Haye Seon, the counselor of Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, all Socksackim members completed counseling courses offered by the Gangwon Youth Counseling Center. With Socksackim, Minjok Herald plans to share some of today’s teenagers’ common concerns in two of its issues. from Britney Spears: “Dad is too concerned about money” Hi, I am an 11th grader. I am writing to you because of my father. I hate my father. He knows nothing but money. He seems even reluctant to pay for me and my sister’s tuition. Do you think I am exaggerating too much? However, anyone would think like that if that person were in my shoes, always finding my father constantly talking about money. I cannot understand because my family’s economic conditions are OK, even a bit rich. I would rather live in a poor family full of love. I sometimes even think Part I, printed in this issue, is on resolving conflicts with parents. The following are three cases that were most frequently asked for help. The names have been changed to protect privacy. by SHIN HEE YEON MINJOK HERALD / [email protected] from Daniel Henney: “My parents are too commanding” My parents are always talking to me in a commanding manner. It’s always “Do this, do that.” They don’t even care about what I want. They say that adults are always right. Even for decisions like what to wear and what to do, my opinions are ignored. How can I make my parents listen? about running away from home. I cannot stand this atmosphere which my mom, sister and I are constantly being depressed by my father’s such attitude. Please help me. Socksackim says: Hi, Britney! We really hope that you try to understand you father. The first step in doing that is trying to think from your father’s perspective. If you were your father, in what ways would you have sacrificed for your family? He would want the happiness of your family more than anyone else. Right now, it seems that no one in the family is clearly stating how the rest of the family feels. Such environment will only make things worse. Your father probably would be somewhat aware of the importance of the care cooperation of all the family members in achieving happiness. All he needs is a small reminder. Go ahead and break the silence. Socksackim says: Hi, Daniel! First of all, we think it is helpful for you to understand the actions and thoughts of yourself. We wonder how you react to your parents when they talk to you in such manner. If you are cold or rebellious towards them, parents tend to distrust their children even more than they used to. On the other hand, if you clearly say that “Well, that is also nice, but I think this is better because so and so,” your parents will look at you differently. Even if they do not accept your opinion the first time, they are likely to ask for your thoughts the next time. So, it is important to look back upon yourself. Try it, and we wish you good luck! Ms. Park’s advice: Again, talking to each other is very important. When talking to them, use “I-message”! Rather than accusing them and pointing out what they did wrong, try to concentrate on your feelings. For example, if your parents force you to study with a tutor, talk to them, like this: “Mom, Dad, I am really angry right now. I feel that studying on my own is more efficient studying method for me. I can plan my own studying schedule and carry out the plan. Please give me a chance.” Then, make a deal with your parents. Ms. Park’s advice: I can see that your father is very concerned about economic matters. Have you ever thought about the possibility that there is something that you don’t know about? Your father could be from a family very strict about saving; maybe your father has debts that no one knows about; or maybe his business is not going well—the possibilities are endless. First, talk to your mother about this problem. If your mother does not know, talk to him. Many times dialogue is the easiest and most efficient solution to problems. Keep in mind, however, that you should not be too emotional when talking to your father. Don’t irritate In the next issue, Socksackim and the Minjok Herald will deal with problems with him by being rude. You must lead your conversation as friends. For those who are in need of counseling help regarding their friends, do maturely as you can, so that your father knows that you not hesitate to approach Socksackim or the Minjok Herald. Privacy will always be respected; anonymous e-mails and letters are also welcome. Also note the Sockare willing to understand him. sackim café on-line: café.daum.net/socksackim. you are not alone! Student life L section Page 13 PERSON The Famous prosecutor of Brooklyn comes to KMLA Prosecutor Jeong.BomJin Minjok Herald: It is very nice to have you here during your visit to Korea. Thank you for devoting your time for us. Many people in KMLA are interested in pursuing career in law. As a prominent figure in that field, can you give the future students of law some advice? Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: First of all, I would like each of them to ask themselves, “Why do I want to be become a lawyer?” If the answer is money, the profession of lawyer is not the right choice for them. If someone wants to make bundles of money, he or she should go to Wall Street. However, if one’s desire is to help people, then law school is definitely the right choice. M. H: Why is that? O n April 16th, a very special person came to KMLA to give a lecture. He was Mr. Jeong Bom Jin, an active prosecutor from Brooklyn, New York. He is famous for overcoming his disabilities and becoming the youngest superintendent public prosecutor of the United States. At 11:00 a.m., in the auditorium in Dasan Hall, Mr. Jeong Bom Jin started the lecture for the KMLA students. He was sitting on a wheelchair, smiling at all the teachers and students. He introduced himself by first informing us of his current position. He also said that he was the brother of Ms.Jung, an English teacher in KMLA. He had worked as a prosecutor for thirteen years in the past and presently he is supervising about 60 other prosecutors. His department specializes in violent crimes. On the right are the KMLA’s questions and Prosecutor Jeong’s Answers. Mr. Jeong Bom Jin’s lecture certainly inspired many KMLA students. A number of students might have changed their notions about Law School, and they might have given more consideration about becoming lawyers or prosecutors. Students should remember that it wasn’t his special ability that enabled him to become a prosecutor, but his endless passion and efforts toward his works that helped him to achieve his goal. by YOON SOJuNG / SHIN HEE YEON MINJOK HERALD [email protected] [email protected] Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: Going into the field of Law is a way to make difference. Almost all governments today are based on law. When one goes into law and starts shaping public policies, that person is influencing millions of people at a time. Also, there are a lot of ways of going into a career in law. Don’t be bootstrapped to stereotypes. In case of academic preparation for law school in the u.S., I would like to emphasize the importance of reading. In Law School, a LOT of reading is required. Even after one graduates from law school and goes into a law firm, reading and writing is the only things that person does for the first six years. M. H: Can you tell us a bit about American law school, then? Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: In order to attend a law school in the united States, one must first take this test called LSAT after college. Going to law school strictly depends on this test and the grades one gets in college. unlike medical school where interview takes a major part in admissions, in law school, interviews are discouraged. In short, the numbers are very important. Another common misconception is that getting admitted to prestigious law schools is everything. I also thought that when I got into one of the top 25 law schools, there would be no problems. However, one must continue working even after having been granted admission. Just like in college, grades are also very important in law schools. In fact, law firms take only the top 5% of the law school students. In particular, the first year grades are very important because those grades are used for one’s admission into “Law Review.” Every law school in the u.S. has a publication called Law Review and this plays a big part in one’s future. People compete to get into Law Review during their first year, and they are selected by grades and writing samples. M. H: That is a very tough race. Life is surely a jungle these days, and teenagers also feel that. Over the past few months, Koreans witnessed many suicides of high school students, especially those in prestigious high schools. How do you see these situations? Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: I understand that there is a lot of pressure and all sorts of stress on teenagers. I also have been through that, and I know what it is like. However, I knew what I liked to do and that helped me a lot. For me, I was happiest when I was doing things for others. I was the President of the Student Council. As a president, I had the opportunity to plan and do many activities for the Korean-American community. Fundraising, bake sales, and helping newcomers are just a few of the things that I did. Knowing that the money I raised was being used for others made me feel great. M. H: As a retired person who has outgrown his teenage years, what other advice would you like to give to the teenagers of today? Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: I would like to tell them, “Be comfortable in your skin!” There is no need to pay too much attention to what others say about you. Also, how one looks is really nothing; it’s rather more about how and what one feels. The most attractive quality a person has is self-confidence. One is most attractive when one expresses his or her self-confidence. M. H: Speaking of self-confidence, what was it like growing up in the united States? Were you ever embarrassed about being a Korean? What is your point of view on racism? Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: Never. Korean people should feel proud that they are Koreans. Also, racism only becomes a problem if you believe in it, and give into it. you cannot change the racists; don’t let them change you, either. M. H: you are noted for overcoming your disabilities through hard work. What is your definition of “disability”? Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: Actually, it is not much of a big deal. unlike what people think, there is nothing to really “overcome.” It just takes me a little longer to do things. M. H: Working as a district attorney, there must be times when you come across some difficult cases. What keeps you going on in such cases? Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: Most of the time, the victim’s family members give me a lot of strength. In the big picture, the fact that I am doing justice to those who suffered helps me a lot. M. H: Do you ever lose any trials? Mr. Jeong Bom Jum: Sometimes. When I was beginning my career, I won my first twenty cases. I felt the heaviest pressure coming from myself. However, learning from failures is important in one’s life. one must take risks and learn from the mistakes. M. H: After you going to the united States when you were nine, you have been living in Brooklyn ever since. Do you recommend an American life for others? Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: Well, I think tolerance is what we need to install in all young people. Deciding to live in the States or Korea is a personal choice. However, I do strongly recommend young people to travel all over the world. I went from high school to law school straight, but if I had another chance I would travel all over Europe. If one goes to another world and experiences the culture in person, more tolerance builds up inside him or her. Also, in the future we need to tolerate more and more people who are very different from us. M. H: Last but not least, is there anything else you would like to tell KMLA students? Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: Right now, Koreans are trying to change the criminal justice system. In the united States, one can be tried by a jury of his or her peers. In Korea, people want too much to be tried by juries made up of their peers. Korea is now thinking about this, but there is a big conflict among police, prosecutors, and judges. yet, the demand for jury trials the Korean public is big. So, people are looking for a mediation. However, the main problem of this conflict is that there are not many who know the American judicial system very well. Little knowledge is very, very dangerous- people only stay in the States for six months and they claim that they know everything about the united States. Now, this is the part where KMLA students come in- they must become experts in a major field and know what to do when such things happen. Also, Korea has a long history but the history as a democratic country is very short. In a nutshell, there is a lot of work to be done in this society for KMLA students. So, always think about those things as you study. Life is not just about grades. M. H: Thank you once again for your time. Mr. Jeong Bom Jin: No problem. Thank you for inviting me to KMLA. k Student life L section Page 14 L osing weight has been one of the all-time most heated concerns of KMLA students. Especially during this time of the year, with the summer vacation nearing, girls exercising during the dinner hours are frequently seen. However, this year, the diet boom is not only the girls’ issue, but rather, all KMLAlians’ issue. Overweight is a common problem for high school students in Korea because of the enormous pressure that they receive from their parents, teachers, and themselves regarding college entrance. With the generally increasing awareness of health and the ideal built on lean persons by the society, many overweight people are interested in losing their weight. But in KMLA, it seems almost the other way around. Students with a normal weight or even quite a slim body-shape seem to be obsessed with losing weight, while chubby ones do not care about their weight. A student in 9th wave said, “I think I am pretty much fat enough to need to lose weight. Some people say I am fairly thin, but when I compare my weight before I came here with that at the moment, I simply believe more strongly that I need to lose my weight.” She then adds, “By losing weight, but We Love you the way you are! It’s true: losing weight is everyone’s wish but many are often carried away I can look better and my clothes would suit me much better.” The idealistic figure for many girls is based on the star-like skin-and-bones figure. But it is a matter of course that our students cannot maintain such a body figure that stars keep through their intensive training, in the inundation of school works and stresses for various reasons. Their worries over weight only add to already-existing stress from living in a housing school. Moreover, worrying affects their mood, and thereby, their studying, significantly. However, students’ desire to How to have fun in this isolated campus A s bright and beautiful as the outdoors of KMLA may seem, take a closer look inside the dormitory, and one is very likely to feel isolated. Being a boarding school, such isolation is definitely a common situation, but it is more intense in KMLA, as students live quite far from other schools or cities. Also because of the rigorous studying, one is strictly limited in watching TV. The internet is students’ only source of information, but do they have enough spare time to just browse around? But it is a bit early to get too depressed. Within a problem always lies a solution. Let’s try to find great ways to have fun at KMLA. Time is a huge factor that makes many students stressed and exhausted. Everyday seems the same: wake up at 6, go to “morning exercise”, eat breakfast, study, eat lunch, study……. There is no spice in our daily routine. Many students feel extremely bounded by this element of time. Students are so busy yet the time is so limited. It’s not surprising that students stay up late trying to finish up a project or homework. When asked the question, “What do you do when you feel isolated and try to change your pace?”, most students by far mentioned the word ‘Music’ The students enjoy singing, playing or just listening to music. Some just listen casually while others try to find the concealed message behind the music. Music is a fast and easy way to take care of all the stress from the busy week. Club activity is a major extracurricular in the system at KMLA and is the interest of many tourists and critics. Many schools envy this opportunity for students to participate and enjoy what they like to do. Students have a wide variety of clubs ranging from traditional music to rock bands—magician club to the Minjok Herald. Generally students participate in an average of 3~4 active clubs that meet on a weekly basis. Students find club activities to be a good way to improve their hobbies or talent. Finally, the most important reason for being active in clubs; lose weight is not totally unfathomable. On the streets, everyone seems to keep such a gorgeous shape that one might worry if they would look any inferior to others. Also, our students are at a stage in their lifetime when they are most concerned with how they look. It would not solely be their fault that they scoff at the stalemate saying to cultivate the inner beauty, and try to best represent themselves with their looks. The most popular exercises that our students do for losing weight are running and jumproping. From six to seven in having fun! Many students also chose exercise as one of their methods in stress relief and entertainment. “It’s a good way to show off your skills, become more motivated towards something, great fun, competitiveness and a healthier body,” said a 10th wave student Jang Doo Joon who enjoys playing basketball. KMLA has great facilities for various sports such as soccer, tennis, basketball, and archery. Some students feel the lack of access towards other sports such as swimming and bowling as KMLA’s obvious limits are all coming from the fact that it’s definitely separated from the outside world. The students often form groups and go to swimming pools or go horseback riding which is a good way to overcome this difficulty Although it may not seem so, there are actually many great ways to enjoy life at KMLA. It’s not that hard after students adapt to the environment. Just because students are separated from the city doesn’t mean that they will be tired and lonesome. Rather, it all depends on the students to seek what they want to do about themselves. k by KIM, GAHYuN MINJOK HERALD the evening is the peak time in which most students do jump rope in front the dormitory, and run the tracks. Interestingly, track-running is less popular than jump rope since the track is located in a five-minute-walk distance from the dormitory. Although there are some who do such exercises for health, most of the work-out population of KMLA is on a diet. Many of the students wanting to lose weight prace both exercising and not-eating. Most of them skip one meal; few skip two or more. The meal-skipping is causing the decline of the stu- dents’ bodily strengths. Besides, the irregular meal schedule destroys brings about a side-effect of sudden weight gain after stopping diet. It is a new phenomenon that boys are concerned with diet as much as the girls are. Even though it is a rarer case that boys practice a diet as intensively as girls do, more than half of the boys in the school have worries over their weight gains. Such a situation shows that boys have started to care about how they look even from an earlier stage than they used to. The mass media with slim-shaped guys on advertisements and the girls’ increasing preference for lean boys may be accounted responsible for this phenomenon. It is a natural inclination of humans to seek beauty. It won’t be wise to try to thwart their preference for slimness, if that is one of the standards of beauty in the existing generation. However, pursuing such a diet when the body did not fully develop may have negative effects on his/her health. Health has to be the priority over all others, since, without it, there is not use to achieve any academics, which is the biggest part of our dreams. k by LEE, SOYOUN MINJOK HERALD [email protected] Back to School? Been at School! Students that stayed at school for summer sessions W hile most of the KMLA students were at home, enjoying their five week summer vacation from the tight everyday schedules during the semester, there were about thirty students who decided to leave behind at school for the summer sessions. In this first official summer session (There had been unofficial sessions in the past in which students could not receive full credit for their studies), there were three subjects students could choose : AP Microeconomics, AP Calculus, and a TOEFL preparatory course. Students participating in this summer session had to take four straight hours of classes everyday for seventeen days to make up for the seventeen weeks we normally study in a semester. Many of the students taking summer sessions, with their afternoon free time, helped out with the school’s GLPS program by participating Staying for the summer : Is it a rather sad stroy or what. Participating as a PA for the GLPS program or staying to study some AP subject is not a bad idea at all, but don’t you miss your mom and dad? Student life L section Page 15 as ‘Program Assistants’ (PAs). Except for the PA activities that some students participated, the life in the dormitory was quite free. Under no need of afternoon classes, Hon-Jung, or curfew, students were provided with much leisure time to follow lenient schedules of their own. These are how some students thought about their three weeks at school. “It was difficult to stay up late because the lights went out at 11:40, which was the time for GLPS students to sleep, and there were lots to study to keep up with the course. I was sometimes overwhelmed with the EA(EOP Assistant) activities that I had to do along with my studies, though it was fun.” “I took TOEFL courses with Mr. Koh this summer, and it was nice because there were only three people in our class and Mr. Koh could check our works thoroughly. But since I participated in EA activities, it was sometimes hard to wake up in the morning and I was tired during the class. But I think the summer session certainly improved my English.” “This summer vacation, I was really excited to stay at school, taking economics class and participating in the GLPS camp as an EA. Also, I had a good time getting to know seniors and making new friends.” Said some 10th wave students who participated in summer sessions. This was surely not a normal summer break for those who decided to stay at school. Since they were away from home, without their parents to supervise them and the dormitory deans much less strict, students were given more responsibilities to control themselves and their time. And as the school plans to expand sessions during the vacation, students who want to participate in such sessions in the future must take notice of these merits and demerits that the participants of the first summer session went through. k by KIM, SHIN MINJOK HERALD [email protected] CR Tests, on the Change Some changes for 10th wave’s Critical Reading Tests The Heart of Our Darkness: whoa. C ritical Reading tests, so-called CR tests, are one of our school’s most distinguishing policies. These tests have started to change. Until April, students had been taking regular two-week-interval tests to broaden their interests on various subjects. The books they were supposed to read were determined at the beginning of the school year so that the students could prepare for the CR tests beforehand. However, after the mid term tests, the CR tests changed. Since then, CR tests have become irregular, and somewhat concentrated on certain periods during the semester. Furthermore, the CR book list had been renewed and the students had to prepare for new CR books that the teachers had assigned. These abrupt changes were due to the problem that the CR tests were too rigid, impossible of changing the schedule, and that the list of CR books which is determined even before the semester starts are often irrelevant to the subject itself by the time students are to take the CR test. Even though students agreed on the existence of such problems, many of them were skeptical about such sudden and uninformed change. The change in CR tests in the middle of the semester without any notice to the students had evoked quite a commotion among the students, and for a while, not many students thoroughly understood how the CR tests were going to be taken. And since all the teachers had started to set their own schedules for CR tests, not only did the schedule become unpredictable, but students Migrants’ Arirang Cultural difference? No Problem! On June 5th 2005, hundreds of people filled up the plaza in front of Seoul City Hall. Placards with the sign 2005 Migrants’ Arirang printed on waved in every corner of the plaza. Participants in this ‘unusual’ event were in diverse skin colors, costumes, and hairstyles. Thirtyeight KMLA students participated in this event as volunteers, investing their time, passion, and perspiration. Migrants’ Arirang was a special event held by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Currently, there are more than 400,000 foreign workers in Korea, mostly from Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Russia. There are more than 100 countries that these migrant workers came from. However, it is our reality that these workers are not treated equally in their workplaces, compared to other Korean workers. Even in some extreme cases, employers do not pay proper salaries to their employees who are from different countries, especially those from the third world countries. However, these workers also have their own homelands, cultures, and dreams. The aim of this festival was to let those migrant workers know that Korea is wellaware of, and at the same time acknowledges each and every one of their unique culture. At eight o’ clock in the morn- also had relatively shorter time to prepare for each test since CR tests were concentrated in certain periods. Most 10th wave students, especially the Minjok Program students whose CR tests had been through dramatic change, enjoyed the new change at first because they didn’t have to prepare for the CR tests for a while. That was because most of them were concentrated later on in the semester. However, as the clustered CR tests neared, the anxiety and stress among students started, because students had so many books to read in such a short period. Thus, students had been particularly busy during the last few weeks of the first semester. Numerous CR tests were overlapped with the test preparation period, and end-term reports pressured students immensely. It was also a hard time for teachers as well, because they had to listen to the prolonging complaints of students. However, such difficulties had not ended in vain, for both students and teachers learned to adjust to the change; teachers would be careful not to overlap their CR ing, all the volunteers gathered in the plaza, preparing for the opening of the festival. There were several departments that the volunteers had been allotted to work in, including Information Center, Booths for each participating country (Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri-Lanka, etc.), World Food Market, Photo Exhibition, and Concert. After two hours of final preparation, Migrants’ Arirang began at ten o’ clock in the morning. Foreign workers, many of them wearing their traditional costumes, appeared on the plaza with their family members or friends. Even the weather was suitable for the festival- continual sunshine, no cloud, no rain. Wearing their hats to stay away from intense sun-rays of June, volunteers moved rapidly without enough break period, all soaked in sweat. Not only foreign migrant workers, but also did Korean visitors come, and participated in the event. There was a photo exhibition under the title of ‘Symbiosis.’ Pictures hung on the red wall of the exhibition were mainly about the lives of migrant workers in Korea. In each booth, visitors were busy, looking at the souvenirs that represent the country. Also at one corner of the plaza, schedules with other subjects or exams, and students would have to prepare for the CR tests as early as possible. Now, as the new semester is starting, both students and teachers are all quite used to the new CR system. Teachers control the CR test schedules, elastically so that the students have enough time to prepare for the test, and students are well acknowledged that CR tests are conducted separately by individual teachers according to schedules varied among subjects. Even some of those students who frowned at first during the first semester when they had to go through so many CR tests in a couple of weeks, now have understood the school’s intentions of change in CR tests; which was to eliminate the rigidity and bureaucracy of the CR test policy of the past by giving more authority to individual teachers. Nevertheless, all students agree that such abrupt and uninformed change in the first semester was a blunder of the school ministration, and that in the future, any further changes in major policies must be discussed and informed to the students. k by KIM, SHIN MINJOK HERALD [email protected] visitors had a chance to wear Korean traditional costumes (Han-bok) and take pictures with the volunteers who were also wearing Han-bok. It was an unusual experience for most of the foreign workers, who barely had any chance to wear Korean traditional garments. Crossing a street from the main plaza, there was a road that sold numerous kinds of unusual world food. Cooks from all over the world-including Nepal, Vietnam, Turkey, and Indonesia- made their traditional menus, and so the road was full of people waiting in lines to catch that ‘infrequent’ chance. Kim Jung Lim, one of the participants of this event as a volunteer, said the food tasted exotic. (“It would be unforgettable, meaning both positive and negative!”) Migrants’ Arirang ended at ten o’ clock at night, concert as the finale of this whole event. All the volunteers, as well as all the visitors, parted with one another and went home. Though the festival was over, the memory and impression they received from this experience would never be forgotten. k by cHOI, HE NA MINJOK HERALD [email protected] Life L section Page 16 Leadership, friendship, & priceless experiences 2005 HOBY Washington d.c. Leadership Camp O n July 21st, seven KMLA students headed to the Incheon International airport with great excitements, to get on a flight to Washington D.C. Ninth wave and tenth wave students even gave up their Beach Camp in order to get on this airplane. This must be some event that does pays off. They were heading for the HOBY camp. HOBY is a non-profit educational corporation, and was established by a famous former actor, Hugh O’ Brian, in 1958. Brian came to set up this program due to the nine days he stayed with Doctor Schweitzer. Doctor Schweitzer said that the most important factor in education is to teach young adults how to establish their own cLuB fOcuS TheApplePie Not this one : Apple Pie is not exactly an apple pie, you know. The Group of Zealous KMLA Stargazers F ounded in 1997, the Apple Pie is club that boasts its long history and standing as the one and only astrometry club at the Korean Minjok Leadership Academy. In addition to hosting observatory meetings related to the night sky, members of the Apple Pie focuses on several activities, such as taking photos of celestial phenomena and informing KMLA students about seasonal constellations or special happenings in the cosmos. Also, Apple Pie members work hard to hold successful displays and festivities in the annual Minjok Festival, and share intimate bonds of friendship that develop through working together for many hours. To become a member of the Apple Pie, one needs only the love of the night sky and stars or the passion to learn more about these things. k by Yu, JEEYOON MINJOK HERALD [email protected] JUST A VERY FEW members of the timehonored KMLA astrometry club, about to enjoy the spectacles of the night sky at the dormitory roof. Why is it so difficult to get a picture of more of you? thoughts. Hugh was greatly inspired by this saying, so he created the HOBY leadership camp for high school sophomores of all over the world. Seven KMLA students including eighth wave Minsoo Bae, along with seventeen students from other schools, headed to Washington D.C., to participate in the HOBY camp. These twenty-four students were selected from the previous Korean HOBY camp, which was held in this year late January. They went through courses such as panels, English debate, essay writing and interviews, and were finally selected as the representatives of Korea for the 2005 HOBY World Leadership Congress. After arriving at Washington D.C., students went through busy nine days. They went through panels, cheers, discussions, choir practices, and such. Korean students contributed greatly to the entertainment of this camp. They showed Korea’s traditional clothes, traditional dance, and Korean martial arts, Taekwondo. In addition, eighth wave Wonjoon Jang, performed Korean rap in the talent show, which was greatly welcomed by HOBY participants. A participant of 2005 HOBY WLC program, tenth wave Hoonjae Lee says “It was an extremely fascinating experience. I made friends from the States, Canada, Germany, Israel, Taiwan, and so on. This program has affected my life. It taught me, not only to receive, but also to give. The nine days in Washington D.C. would be one of my most precious memories throughout life. Furthermore, I hope more KMLA students tryout for the HOBY WLC program during the following years, because it has taught me so much.” k by JEONG, HAEIN MINJOK HERALD [email protected] Sports S section Page 17 KOREAN ARcHERY No.1 Amazing Archery Nam, Yul-hee wins first place and Kang, Min Seung the second in the 18th National Student Archery Competition O n May 23, 2005, 11th grader Nam, Yul-hee and 12th grader Kang, Min Seung performed with flying colors as they respectively claimed First Place in the Boys’ Individual Division and Second Place in the Girls’ Individual Division in the 18th Nationwide Middle and High School Korean Archery Competition. The annual Korean Archery competition hosted by the Korean National Archery Association was held this year in the city of Gumi in Kyeongbuk Province. Over seventy total students from eight different schools competed in the individual and group divisions of the archery competition. The weather was sunny and clear, but the incessant, inconsistent, and unpredictable wind that blew all morning and afternoon was an adverse condition for shooting arrows. The KMLA Korean Archery team got off to a rough start as the competition began in the morning with the Girls’ Individual Division. Most of the female archers had a difficult time hitting the targets—their arrows were so significantly affected by the strong wind, deviating largely from the correct direction. The arrows of the female members of the KMLA Korean Archery team were no exception; only 12th graders Kang, Min Seung, Kim, Mijung, Yoon, Semee, and 11th grader Lee, Seong-min out of the seven girls managed to hit the target once each. Even with these hard-to-believe results, the KMLA team had to keep their faith and wait for the female archers of the other school teams to finish in order to compare the final outcomes. Meanwhile, the competition in the Individual Boys’ Division carried on. Although to a lesser extent than those of the girls, the boys’ arrows were also influenced by the intense winds. As a result, each of the boys in the KMLA team managed to hit the target only two or three times out of fifteen total chances. However, despite the IN TRIUMPH : The KMLA Korean Archery team has been showing their excellence in each competition they participate. BULL’S EYE! : Nam, yul-hee, the first place winner of the 18th nationwide middle and high school Korean archery competition, is aiming at the target. unfavorable conditions, 11th grader Nam, Yul-hee succeeded in getting five of his arrows to hit the target after shooting ten of them. Yul-hee was about to shoot his last five arrows when stunning news reached the KMLA Korean Archery team. For the lead in the Boys’ Individual Division, two boys had tied— each with seven hits of the target. Everyone on the KMLA team realized that if Yul-hee succeeded in making three of his remaining five arrows hit the target, he would become the champion in the Division. Tension and anticipation gripped every member of the KMLA Korean Archery team as Yul-hee stepped into place to shoot his last five arrows. With his steady, unwavering form and his outstanding concentration, Yul-hee managed to hit the target twice consecutively out of three arrows. Fifteen pairs of fingers were crossed and all eyes concentrated on Yul-hee’s every move as he prepared to shoot at his chance for first place. Slowly, Yul-hee readied his bow and arrow, pulled back his bowstring, held it for several seconds, and finally released his hand. BOOM! The arrow loudly and clearly hit the black-and-white target, and every person in the KMLA team burst with joy for Yul-hee and their school. 11th grader Nam, Yul-hee, of the Korean Minjok Academy, had outperformed sixty other THE CUP : The second place winner of the girls’ part of the competition, Kang, Minseung is recieving her award. male archers by hitting a total of eight arrows out of the total fifteen all contestants were required to shoot. k by Yu, JEEYOON MINJOK HERALD [email protected] Sports L section Page 18 GANGwON SPORtS cOMPEtItION (강원도민체전) ticipated in the tennis competition. Despite high hopes, the team was defeated in the semifinals, placing third. Boxing T he 40th Gangwon Sports Festival were hosted by Hongcheon County during the second week of June, which was blessed with perfect weather for the games. From the opening ceremony on the 7th to the closing ceremony on the 11th, the Sports Festival was packed with exciting matches in various sports. 83 athletes from KMLA participated in 8 different events. Thanks to the efforts of the numerous KMLA athletes, Hoengsung was able to defend its title as the champion of the county division of the Gangwon Sports Festival. Congratulations to Hoengsung and the athletes of KMLA! Gumdo The KMLA team was placed with some tough competi- The Herald’s Lee Hyung Woo entered the high school division. He fought spectacularly in a grueling series of matches, even earning a KO win. However, he lost in the finals after his nose was broken by the opponent. Nevertheless he placed second, an impressive achievement indeed. tion, including some schools famous for their gumdo team. Though the team did its best, it was unfortunately defeated in the semifinals, placing 3rd and bringing home the bronze medal. Basketball Ping-Pong The KMLA team placed third in the relay race and won the silver medal in the water polo competition. In the individual competitions, the athletes won two silver medals in the 200m breaststroke, a silver medal in the 200m butterfly stroke and a bronze in the 100m butterfly stroke. Baseball The KMLA baseball team beat its opponents in a spectacular four-inning called game, successfully defending its title and winning its third consecutive gold medal. Equestrian The ping-pong team placed third after an unfortunate defeat in the semifinals. However, considering the fact that this competition was its debut, the team can be said to have done remarkably well. Fin Swimming Both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams participated in the high school division. The boys’ team was beaten in the semifinals, placing third. Although the defeat came as quite a shock, the athletes did their best. On the other hand, the girls were able to defeat their opponents in the finals and won the championship title. Congratulations to both teams for doing a great job. The KMLA team won two silver medals in the men’s relay and the gold and silver medals in the women‘s relay. In the individual competitions the athletes won silver medals in the 200m and 400m. They also won bronze medals in the 50m and 100m competitions. Tennis Swimming Despite some tough competition with professional athletes(some even on the national team!), the KMLA athletes were able to place third in the intermediate obstacle course and second and third in the advanced obstacle course. Overall, the warriors of Kayemelay all did splendidly in this competition; although our tight daily schedules can easily limit our time for playing sports along with studying, our heroes proved that we are capable of much more than what is usually expected from us. Above all, we are relieved to know that nobody got hurt during the competition. k by cHEONG, PuRuN MINJOK HERALD [email protected] The girls’ tennis team par- ed at ten in the morning, and the KMLA students gathered at the baseball field after second period to root for the team. Meanwhile, the players were warming up for the game, taking light batting practice and fielding ground balls. The Inje baseball players arrived at around nine-thirty to get ready for the game. The starting line up for the KMLA team was Lee Jong Won at pitcher, Kim Dong Il at catcher, Hwang Ji Hae at first, Paik Kwan Young at second, Baek Eui Hyun at shortstop, Cho Hong Jin at third, Choe Byung Woo at left, Jeong Yoo Joo at center, and Song Seung Woo at right. Since they who participated in the Gangwon Sports Competition Basketball (boys) : 신상하 / 김홍균 / 양승직 / 노우진 / 이현성 / 조예찬 / 장정하 / 강영수 / 김지훈 / 홍석준 / 전동배 Baseball (boys) : 이종원 / 황지해 / 조홍진 / 백관영 / 백의현 / 김경훈 / 박길영 / 이성욱 / 한창희 / 송승우 / 문창웅 / 전세원 / 김재희 / 최병우 / 정유주 / 김동일 / 송상현 / 이요한 Equestrian : 유일석 / 박형수 / 김동혁 / 정푸른 Boxing : 이형우 Gumdo : 장윤수 / 장윤성 / 이진규 / 이종휘 / 박경근 / 변대현 Pingpong : 전다윗 / 최준용 / 이성빈 / 이동준 / 홍동균 / 윤병준 Fin swimming : 양바롬 / 조민재 / 최온하 / 류수민 / 김혜인 (9th wave) / 이예인 Swimming : 조기원 / 이우찬 / 이경원 / 김혜인 (10th wave) / 김수경 / 정하빈 / 김보광 / 강민구 / 장원준 / 곽석천 Basketball (girls) : 백재연 / 김선형 / 김미정 / 조은혜 / 윤세미 / 유서은 / 유정이 / 황지혜 / 황인혜 / 손영빈 / 신희정 / 성민경 Tennis : 정다빈 / 임수진 / 장주영 YOu ALL DID wONDERfuLLY! Team Captain Pitches KMLA to Third Straight Gold Medal On June 8th, 2005, the KMLA baseball team beat Inje High School 12-0 in a four-inning called game, successfully defending their title in the 40th Gangwon Sports Festival. It also marked the third straight gold medal for the KMLA team. Pitcher Lee Jong Won, who is also the captain of the team, was the star of the game, throwing a complete game shutout, en route to a rout. The game start- The Athletes were the home team, Inje batted first, with the KMLA team defending first. The game began at almost exactly ten. In the top of the first inning, Inje could not get anything done, as Lee Jong Won picked up two strikeouts en route to a one-two-three inning. But, it was a different story for the KMLA team, as they batted around in the bottom half of the inning, scoring five runs. Right from the beginning, the game looked like a mismatch, and the game quickly turned into a rout that was dominated by the KMLA side. Inje had their best chance to score in the second inning, when Lee Jong Won seemed to have lost some of his control during the early part of the inning. The lead-off hitter led off with a single, but he was quickly erased when he could not get back on a pickoff attempt. But, Lee Jong Won walked two batters, putting runners at the corners. However, after a coaching visit, he quickly regained his dominance, striking out the next two batters to escape the inning unscathed. When the KMLA team sent twelve men to the plate in their bottom half, pushing their run total to twelve, the game was practically over. The top of the third inning was again all Lee Jong Won, as he struck out the side. The KMLA side also went scoreless in their bottom half, and Lee Jong Won came on to finish the game in the top half of the fourth inning, adding another strikeout to push his total to eight. With two outs in the game, the Inje batter hit a soft ground ball straight at the second baseman, Jeon Se Won, who succeeded in getting the final out for the KMLA side. With the final out in the books, the crowd gave a standing ovation, and the players showed their appreciation by bowing to them. The KMLA team had won their third straight gold medal. k by HwANG, wANG, JIHAE w MINJOK HERALD [email protected] Sports S section Page 19 HEALtH & EXERcISE fIELD DAY Other side of the world. New morning exercises attract desperate students S ince the onset of the 2005 School Year, two subjects for morning exercise were newly added. This attempt taken by the school administration seems to be the adequate response to the increased number of students. The two added are: Gigong (Meditation) and Jogging (so called, ‘Track’). The subjects are of high interest to all students. “Sure, I am actually ‘desperate’ to take one of them,” mentioned one of the tenth wave student. Students’ fervor for this change must be analyzed. The ninth wave students were the first to have the opportunity to take the newly added classes. However, one requirement had to be fulfilled; Dan was needed either in Taekwondo or Gumdo. The early sign of students’ fervor was discernable during the Dan examinations. This was true especially for Gumdo students. For them, a certain number of students could not be helped from facing failure; a quota was set for the successful ones. About ten percent of all examinees failed. Why such fervor? The attractions of Gigong and Track are boundless compared to those of Taekwondo and Gumdo. “Of course, if you are really serious about exercising and learning those martial arts, you will not be attracted at all,” is a common response from many ninth wave students who joined the new classes. The primary merit of the new subjects is the loose, untiring, and self-controlled exercise. Compared to the hard, painstaking martial arts, one can peacefully enjoy the morning’s grace. Indeed, this is a distinctive difference with the notorious “1000 Headhits” of Gumdo. Second of all, timely dismissal is another beloved merit. The official dismissal time for the morning exercise is seven AM. This time is frequently violated especially in Gumdo classes; “ten minutes late is nothing,” mentioned one Gumdo student. On the other hand, Gigong and ‘Track’ students are dismissed no later than five past seven. The third merit of the new classes is rather sensitive and personal depending on each student, but it is undeniable. The last merit is that the teachers are more favorable in perspective of the so called, “Ggozang”. No further explanation is necessary. Let’s unveil the fantasy of Gigong and ‘Track’ classes. What do they do? Gigong students have four regular types of exercise: stroll, Yoga, sit in meditation, and Taegukgwon. These different types are rotated each day. For the ‘Track’ students, jogging is the most ordinary, but strolls are occasional. The newly added classes are still a fantasy to many students. Whether one will obtain the ticket to the ‘other side of the world’ depends on one’s next Dan exam. k by KIM, DONGHYuK MINJOK HERALD [email protected] Together O the Field day. n May 21st, all the KMLA teachers, students, and parents came to the school field for the annual field day. Everyone worked together and did their very best to become a winner. Everyone enjoyed various sports games and all the matches ended at four in the afternoon. All of the KMLA family had a very memorable day. At nine in the morning, all the 9th and 10th wave students gathered in the school field. All of them were wearing school T-shirts that represented their own teams. The 9th waves were on blues and the 10th waves were on whites. After a short announcement, the headmaster made an opening speech to start the 2005, KMLA Field Day. All the students participated in various sports games held at the same time in different places in the sports ground. First, there were the basketball matches: one girls’ match and two boys’ match, all three of them were between the 10th and the 9th wave students. The 10th wave girls beat the 9th waves, while one team of 10th waves lost against the 9th waves, the other team regained the points by winning their match, evening out the scores to 1:1 for the boys’ match. Next to the basketball court, there was a dodge ball match against 9th and 10th wave girls. All of them played extremely well and with great passion and strength, but at the end, the 9th wave students defeated the 10th wave students. In the main field, a soccer match between 9th and 10th wave students was held. The whistle blew and the score was 1:1 and they went to the penalty kicks, where the 9th waves grasped the victory by one goal. There was also a jump-roping tournament for all the classes in 9th and 10th wave. The 9th wave humanity class 1 won the tournament, showing impressive unity - the result of countless practices. After morning matches, all the people gathered under their tents, and had a very special lunch with the teachers. They set up various kinds of foods and enjoyed a very pleasurable meal. After lunch, the afternoon matches began. Many looked forward to the game that was held during the afternoon: the traditional wrestling game, GENERAL INfORMAtION Important: since 1997, the official student newspaper at Korean Minjok Leadership Academy • Supervisor : Professor Ahn, Sang Joon • English supervisor : Professor Jeong, Yu Kyung • for managing the publication : Mr. Kim, Dong Myung, Myung, the librarian • All the interviewees and photo models, thank you again. 강원도 횡성군 안흥면 소사리 1334번지 225-823 민족사관고등학교 / 033) 343-1115 / Faz 033) 342-8660 Recruit Information The Minjok Herald will start the second-round Writing Crew member selection program very soon. If you’re interested, please expect further notices at Honjung. Ssee-rum. Five boys from each wave came up and competed on the sand ground. It was very exciting to watch the Ssee-rum game. In the end the 9th waves won the match. At the climax of the day, the most popular game of the day, the relay race took place. Several teachers, students and even the parents participated to win the race. For the teachers, the 10th waves won, while for the students, the 9th waves won. After all the games were over, there was an award ceremony. For this Field Day, the 9th wave blue team won. However, the 10th wave students received a special award for the cheering. Despite their defeat, the 10th wave students, along with the victorious 9th wave students, enjoyed the game to the very end. At the end of the day, they cleaned the sports ground. Although the two waves were divided into two teams, it was a good chance for everyone to get to each other. It certainly reminded them that all the members of KMLA members are indeed one! k by YOuN, SOJuNG MINJOK HERALD [email protected] LEttER Of APOLOGY In reference to the unnaturally prolonged gap preceding the publication of the current issue, the Minjok Herald wishes to make its most sincere apology. We had decided to bring our readers as many positive changes as possible; nevertheless, the process of implementing some innovations was met with various obstacles, delaying the completion of the issue significantly. The Minjok Herald asks thereupon for your pardon; we hope that the work we have extendedly done is approved by your readership. Sincerely yours, the Executive Editor KIM SUNGMIN. Epilogue Page 20 ‘Young’ doesn’t always mean Amateurish, does it? Minjok Herald Promises to be a Beyond-High-school Quality Newspaper I t is a general belief especially in our country that claiming to be a ‘competent school newspaper’ contains a fallacy, probably because in most of Korean high schools, making a newspaper is certainly not an easy task to carry on parallel to schoolwork. In particular, the difficulty is intensified when one’s doing it in English. Apparently, students’ publications are widely characterized by amateurism. Such notion can function as a privilege to students, (for people will tolerate even crude works) but for those who are really serious about making an excellent newspaper, it is a prejudice that somewhat Herald Crew honorable faces absurdly limits the quality of their works. If young and student-like should mean absence of professionalism, we would wish we could refuse and escape from that definition. Minjok Herald that has represented our KMLA for the last ten years wishes to overcome that belittling prejudice. Making Difference It has been decided that we will try to make several major changes to our newspaper. The easiest to notice (and one of the most important) renovation is the size of the paper. In order to come closer to the system and structure of real newspapers, Minjok Herald will be printed on Tabloid sheets of paper from now on. Another big difference is about how we write, edit, and manage our articles; now most of the writing crew’s work is done on our on-line cafe. We find this method both quantatively and qualitively more productive. Writing Crew (reporters) : 10th wave : Jeung, Haein Deputy Executive Editors : youn, Sojung Shin, Hee yeon / Cheong, Purun Kim, Shin Kim, Gahyeon Editorial Chief: Kim, Jee Sun Suh, Jung Kyu Executive Editor : Kim, Sungmin Having a Minjok Herald photographer take and transfer all pictures exclusively, coming up with a new logo(a quasi-coat-ofarm) along with a Latin motto, more clearly dividing the paper into sections, and many other new ways of bringing the readers our best work have been implemented. In the course of applying the reforms carefully to the renewed edition, we regret that we have somewhat ran out of time. We apologize for such a long period of preparation and outdated events that some articles describe. However, every member of Minjok Herald is more than certain that most readers will find this edition very meaningful. We will continue to do our best in making Herald a newspaper with a professional spirit that refuses to be constant with its present position. k by KIM, SuNGMIN EXECuTIVE EDITOR MINJOK HERALD [email protected] Moon Won Kyung (not present) 9th wave : Kim, Dong Hyuk yu, Jeeyoon Choi, He Na (not in the picture) Hwang, JiHae Lee, So youn Ko, Ji Hoon yoo, Jung Hwa Paik, Kwan young Rhi, Jae Won Editing Crew : Lee, Sul Editorial Crew : 10th wave: yea, Chang Whan Cho, yoon Hyun Kim, Jin young Kim, Shin 9th wave: Choi, Jae Won Lee, Hyung Woo (not in the picture) Design Crew : 10th wave: Jung, Ha Bin Choi, Su Bin 9th wave: Choi, Onha Photographer : Park, young Woong Managing Teacher : Ahn, Sang Joon